Laura Bee Designs

Seattle, United States

4.9

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 206-789-4044
Website:
www.laurabeedesigns.com
Address:
6418 20th Ave NW, Seattle, WA, 98107
b/t 64th St & 65th St
Ballard
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.3 mi15th Ave NW & NW 65th St
0.3 mi24th Ave NW & NW 65th St
0.4 mi15th Ave NW & NW 70th St
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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Parking
Street
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
By Appointment Only
No

Today

Today –
Local time (Seattle) 8:48 PM Thursday, November 28, 2024

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday –
Friday –
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Looking for a unique handbag that will earn compliments from friends and strangers alike? At Laura Bee Designs, shopping for a new purse is a creative experience.

Nestled in a residential corner of Ballard, the Laura Bee studio also serves as a retail boutique. As customers browse, a small team of skilled artisans makes all handbags on site. The shop offers an extensive collection of fabric, ribbon, and vintage buttons to those who visit to design their own accessories. You can even book the whole space to hold your own purse-​designing party.

In addition to the extensive house line of handbags and accessories, the shop offers modestly priced gifts including jewelry, stationery, and spa products.

Going straight to the party? The staff will wrap your selections for free in our signature packaging.

History

Established in 2001.

After selling her first bag at the fledgling Ballard Sunday Market in 2001, Laura opened a tiny storefront in the fall of 2002 offering custom bags and select jewelry.

Thanks to the support of wonderful repeat customers, Laura and her growing team doubled the size of the store in 2006 and added a rich selection of gift goodies, accessories, and spa goods.

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Laura Bee Designs — CLOSED says,

«Otis the shop dog learned how to socialize when he was a young pug here.»

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«Great fabrics and friendly staff.»

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Laura Bee Designs — CLOSED says,

«Excellent printing and copying services.»

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Appliances

Laura Bee Designs — CLOSED says,

«Our go to place for sewing machine purchases and repairs.»

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20 reviews of Laura Bee Designs

No registration required
Place rating: 5
New York, NY
I want everything here. The scarfs in particular are awesome – they have a knack for finding the best prints and materials. There is also some lovely jewelry. And amazing unicorns magnets. And these fantastic gloves! I was so bummed to learn they will be closing their retail storefront. They will be missed!
Place rating: 5
Portland, OR
So cute — tons of Jewelry unique and reasonably priced. The store serves as also the makings of one of the kind purses, wallets, satchels. Overheard some ladies with a gift certificate, going to design and make their own bags with the help of the DYI staff. Fun gifts options!
Place rating: 5
Seattle, WA
If you need a gift for a female — this is the place to go. Such unique jewelry that you can be certain that no one else will have the same piece as you. The bags and cards are wonderful as well. You can tell the workers all take pride in the store, and they are always friendly and welcoming.
I live close and walk in a lot. You can’t go wrong with almost all of the items!
Place rating: 5
Cambridge, MA
This place not only has very cute jewelry, handmade bags, and other accessories, but also is affordable. Everything in this store is handmade from Laura Bee or made locally from other shops in town. If you walk in, you will not walk out empty-​handed!
Place rating: 5
Irvine, CA
Beautiful hand-​made purses and wallets (considering the work that gets put into these, the prices aren’t overwhelmingly bad). Found a very vibrant mini wallet that was perfect for a gift.
Place rating: 5
Lake Forest Park, WA
I love Laura Bee’s! I get a lot of ladies presents there. They have an awesome selection of jewelry and gifts in addition to the handmade purses and wallets. The ladies who work there are very nice and helpful, and I love the pug!
They also have a stamp card where you can earn $ 15 worth of store credit if you spend (I think) $ 100.
Place rating: 5
Seattle, WA
I am not a purse girl. The purses I do own are small (my husband jokes that a purse of mine is only large enough to hold a tic tac and a whistle. The few I have are a smidge larger than that — but not by much). I am not a jewelry girl (literally the only piece of jewelry I wear is my wedding ring).
So why am I reviewing Laura Bee? Because I came across her site a year ago by sheer accident and I thought to myself — I could see having a Laura Bee purse. Last month my husband surprised me with a gift certificate and into the studio I went. High quality faux leather? Yes, please! Patient and helpful staff on hand to help you design your own? Yes, please! Turn around time of 3 weeks to get your very own custom purse (and coin purse)? Yes, please! Deliver on time with a high quality product and fantastic customer service? Yep, they nailed it! The largest purse I have ever owned — but I can fit my book and water bottle in it!
Guess what? They sell lockets. Remember I said I am not a jewelry girl? Well, I don’t know… we’ll see…
Place rating: 5
Ballard, Seattle, WA
This little shop is a super stop for that unique piece of jewelry or hand-​made item that will win a big smile at home. I really like how creative and hand-​crafted everything is, and it is fun to give a gift that doesn’t look like it came from a chain store. Also, the prices at Laura Bee are low enough that it doesn’t have to be a special occasion to stop in!
Place rating: 5
Seattle, WA
Cute store and nice online shop.
Beautiful handmade original purses, clutches and tote bags. There are other items there so take a look.
I had her make me a picture necklace with my dog’s picture and it turned out really nice and is a great keepsake. If you want to make a memory of a loved one (furry or otherwise) this is a great way to do it and you should visit her store or online. She is super nice and helpful.
Place rating: 5
Seattle, WA
I still can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this place yet! I love everything about this shop and is definitely my «go-​to» store for either a last minute gift or finding a gem for my favorite girlfriend. The handmade bags are wonderfully one of a kind since you get to choose the fabric, style, and design from start to finish. The staff at Laura Bee are unbelievable helpful throughout the process, ensuring that the bag you’re creating is perfectly suited to your liking. The prices are VERY reasonable for the quality, attention, and love that is put into their products. Lastly, their free gift wrapping is stylish, gorgeous, AND a time-​saver for me! Love it!
Ballard is so fortunate to have this shop in its neighborhood!
Place rating: 5
San Diego, CA
I want everything in this shop.
Recently I went in and ended up buying a piece made by a local artist who refurbishes vintage jewelry into something new — a fact the owner knew just from looking at the tag of the piece. It was gorgeous, in my price range, and gift wrapped (for free!) in the cutest little chinese take-​out box. Come here to get a sweet, unique gift for any female in your life!
Place rating: 5
Rochester, MN
What an adorable little shop! I was drawn to Laura Bee Designs by way of the Unilocal Passport to Ballard and because the shop is consistently featured on the «Hot on Unilocal» list. After visiting restaurants and cafes on Market Street, I was surprised to have to walk four or five blocks away from the hustle and bustle of Ballard to a quieter (read: boring) part of the neighborhood but I became a believer as soon as I opened the door to Laura Bee Designs!
The jewelry ranges from classy and understated (these pieces are usually sterling silver) to loud and bold and everything is reasonably priced. There were necklaces, bracelets, and rings, but the earring selection was my favorite – lots of cute, simple studs and small dangly earrings with beautiful stones. I’m usually really picky about jewelry and when I do find pieces that I like, I shy away because I’m too cheap (er…frugal) to buy something that I’ll only wear a few times a year but at Laura Bee, I found prices that I was comfortable with and pieces that I could see myself wearing day after day. Of course, the walls and tables are also adorned with a large assortment of handbags and clutches – there’s lots of different shapes and sizes and I’m definitely going to consider coming here the next time I need a simple, sturdy, stylish bag. I also saw scarves, a limited but great selection of knee-​high socks, and… a PUG! While Laura sits behind her sewing machine all day churning out her handbag creations, her pug Otis keeps her (and her customers) company. And they’re both very friendly… in different ways of course: Otis is warm, welcoming, and conversational while Laura will snort and gently jump up to try and get you to pet him. Oh wait… it’s the other way around…
Laura Bee Designs gets five stars for being a one-​stop shop for jewelry that I love/​can afford, socks that make me laugh, and a pug.
Place rating: 4
Portland, OR
The homemade purses, wallets and necklaces here are beautiful. I couldn’t decide on one that I liked best, so I left without buying anything, thinking that was a smarter choice than buying EVERYTHING in sight.
The items are cruelty-​free, and VERY well-​made. The quality of each purse puts the $ 1500 ones by Marc Jacobs to shame. They are made of gorgeous materials and bright colors, and each has something special adorning it to make it unique.
I will be back to this charming Ballard shop, and the next time I will buy something (or somethings…).
Place rating: 5
Seattle, WA
I’ve got four bags from Laura Bee Designs, but haven’t gotten a new one in about a year and a half… time for a trip to Ballard!
Every time I’ve gone to Laura Bee, it’s been a fun, inviting experience. They do a great job working with you to find the *perfect* design — they know what you want, even if you don’t!
And if you’re stumped by the thousands of combinations possible, there are always supercute, unique bags, clutches, and wristlets for you to choose from… and every one is a stand-​out, one-​of-​a-​kind creation, well-​made, by hand, and with some serious craftsmanship!
Love the collection of jewelry on hand, too. Making it fun to shop local (especially if Otis the Pug is on duty that day).
If you haven’t already — sign up for their e-​mail mailing list for great specials and fun happenings!
Place rating: 5
Seattle, WA
Awesome shop. They are so helpful, friendly and patient.
First off you can buy things off the rack OR you can choose a bag style you like and then pick out all the fabrics (so many to choose from almost overwhelming), buttons etc and have it made custom to you which means it is really yours and no one will have your bag. The associate will help you match and see what your final product will look like so you can make a informed decision.
They hold up extremely well and I love mine. Though I will admit mine is a hand me down from my sister but it holds what I need well and is perfect.
I plan on making a bag here at some point when I have the time and some more inclination about what I want and the money. This is something that is worth saving up for and will last quite a long time!!! My 3 sisters all have bags from Laura Bee and they love them!
Also plan to be there for awhile so you can pick out just the right materials for your bag. It does take some time. But well worth it.
Place rating: 5
Seattle, WA
I have ordered about eight or ten custom made items from this fantastic shop, and purchased many, many more items that are ready-​made. Every bag I have has been lovingly hand-​crafted to my specifications by Laura, Ashley and the rest of the wonderful, helpful staff.
Designing a bag is super, super fun and there are hundreds and hundreds of fabrics, ribbons, and vintage buttons to choose from to make it completely one of a kind. It’s so much fun to stop in and see the staff sewing away and to check out the amazing designs other customers have created!
If you’re not into the DIY approach Laura and her crew have absolutely impeccable taste which can be seen in the wide selection of ready-​made bags they have available.
They also have a huge selection of jewelry, hair accessories, hats, cards and other gift items. They also offer gift certificates. (All of my friends should take note of that preceding sentence.) Moms and Grandmoms everywhere love the bags, the pillows and notebooks that can be customized with old family photos, baby portraits, or kids’ artwork. So cool!
Place rating: 5
Seattle, WA
I own… 3? Yes, 3 Laura Bee bags — each one is gorgeous & impeccably made right there in their store! You can honestly feel the love they put into every piece, and that’s why I have also given countless LB items as gifts over the years. (I’m a well-​known great gift-​giver!) :P
There truly is no better shop in town to find the perfect gift for that special lady (or dude, in some cases!) in your life. Where else can you design the most perfect item you can imagine, and then KNOW that it will be made by hand by some extremely talented, creative, (& thoroughly charming!) local people?!
The perfectly-​priced bags & wallets are really a steal because they’ll last you for years and years, and will make you or your loved one feel great to wear/​use such a top-​quality, stylish, functional, and FUN item!
Place rating: 5
King, WA
I discovered Laura Bee last year and now it’s the first place I go if I need to get a birthday gift for a friend. In addition to her amazing handbags and wallets that she makes right there in the store, she has an array of jewelry and other things that all seem to be in a style that I like.
I recently customized my own handbag. I get more compliments on this handbag than any other, and I get to say that I had a hand in making it.
Place rating: 5
Seattle, WA
This store is addictive, which is dangerous because I drive past it all the time. Everything about the business is stylish, thoughtful and sincere — which says something about the folks running it.
I started dreaming up a custom purse after visiting there having only purchased one purse before in my life that was very generic. I’m only slightly obsessed with ducks (they make me happy) and I decided to design a purse around duck ribbon. The problem was that all the ribbons I could find in fabric stores or online were cutesy pink-​and-​yellow ones that looked like they belonged on baby gear. Then I got a call from Ashley — apparently Laura had found some vintage duck ribbons in her secret stash and was willing to share them — they were perfect!
It was so much fun that I ended up having a matching wristlet designed to go with it, which has turned out to be incredibly useful. It goes with me everywhere, and I’ve started getting gift certificates for my friends to make their own custom wristlets because I think they are so awesome (and affordable!)
And as if that wasn’t enough, there’s a lovely collection of inexpensive, often locally-​made, jewelry and fabulous paper crafts like cards and stationary. For all these reasons, when I want to get a gift, Laura Bee is often the first place I think of.
Place rating: 4
Seattle, WA
I love finding products that are local to the area and with lots of unique character! Laura is very helpful and pleasant. I ended my shopping spree with 3 handbags all design by me! its a great place to take your friends and shope for fabric, buttons and selecting the design of placement. Most of all, I haven’t run into anyone with my handbag… I LOVE THAT! I also gets lots of compliments… thanks Laura!!!